- Delhi mulls fresh statement to factor in disproportionate use of force

JAYANTH JACOB

New Delhi, Dec. 28: The word condemn was missing and cross-border provocation figured prominently. But government sources and former diplomats today insisted that not too much should be read into Indias official reaction last night to Israels Gaza strikes.

The air raids — retaliation for rocket attacks by militant group Hamas that rules Gaza — have come at a time many Indians have been urging strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan in response to the Mumbai carnage. Tel Avivs action has so far killed about 290 Palestinians in two days.

While India is aware of the immediate cross-border provocations resulting from rocket attacks (on Israel)… it urges an immediate end to the use of force against Palestinian civilians, the foreign ministry said yesterday.

A ministry official today said the mention of cross-border provocations was a statement of fact, and the Centre had now noted the disproportionate use of force by Israel and would issue another statement. We react to an evolving situation in due course, the official added.

Rajendra Abhyankar, former secretary in the foreign ministry and West Asia expert felt Delhi should raise the disproportionate force angle in its own interests.

That, he said, would highlight how much leeway Israel was being allowed at a time world powers are advising us to practise restraint in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

However, Abhyankar too said one statement could not be seen as a shift in Delhis West Asia policy, implying that thoughts of Pakistan —and not Palestine — may have driven its content.

Indias support to the Palestinian cause is non-negotiable, he said, but tacitly acknowledged Delhis new interests and compulsions by adding: But then Israel has been supportive to us, especially in supplying key defence equipment…. The (Indian) statement does look like a please-all one.

The same awareness led the Congress to attempt a balancing act. The party spewed the strongest condemnation of a disproportionate use of brute force by Israel that was most deplorable and unacceptable to the civilised world.

Sources said the Congress was pushed to issue this statement on a Sunday because the government had certain compulsions and could not afford to unambiguously flay Israel.

Certainly not after the Mumbai terror strikes, which killed several Israeli citizens, a party official said. Yet, with a general election just months away, the Congress could not ignore the Muslim sentiment either.

The Congress statement reaffirmed the partys solidarity with the Palestinians and their cause.